Australia’s Olympic Games Chef de Mission Kitty Chiller to name flag bearer early in break with tradition

AUSTRALIA will break with one of its most famous sporting traditions by announcing its Olympic flag-bearer before it leaves for this year’s Rio Games.

AUSTRALIA will break with one of its most famous sporting traditions by announcing its Olympic flag-bearer before it leaves for this year’s Rio Games.

Australian Olympic team Chef de Mission Kitty Chiller has made the practical call to abandon the custom of announcing the flag-bearer at a team function on Games eve.

Instead it will be announced at a function before the team leaves.

“I want that person to be able to enjoy the experience, not think, ‘in 24 hours I am going to have to carry the flag and I cannot tell anyone because it is all a big secret,’’’ Chiller told The Courier-Mail.

“I watched poor Lauren Jackson in London. She did a fantastic job but she was up until 1 or 2am in the morning doing media the next day and then she had to play.

“She could not tell anyone after Nick (Green) told her a couple of days before.

“I want them to be a leader of the team. It is not just carrying a flag around the track for 400m. They are going to be team captain.

“I will announced it in Australia so that person can enjoy the honour before they get into the focus of it and they get the respect and attention they deserve over a period.’’

The idea of announcing the flag-bearer early was described as “solid’’ by former track queen Raelene Boyle who held the role for the 1976 Gmaes in Montreal.

“It is a very solid idea,’’ Boyle said. “One thing about announcing late was that it created a lot of attention but I cannot see that this way will create any sort of burden on the person who gets it.

“It is just a great honour and my feet did not touch the ground when I walked into the Stadium at Montreal. I can still hear the sounds of Fanfare For The Common Man.’’

The choice of flag-bearer is one of the hottest topics of Australia’s Olympic campaign.

Over the years longevity has been rewarded with the likes of Andrew Gaze (basketball), James Tomkins (rowing), Colin Beashel (sailing) and Andrew Hoy (equestrian) handed the flagbearer’s role for their sustained excellence as well as their leadership traits.

Chiller, sole judge in the decision, said while long service would count there were other more important factors at play.

“Traditionally longevity has played a big part in it. That is one part but it is certainly not the primary part of it for me. It is someone who exhibits the values we are trying to exhibit and to be a great role model for sport in general.’’

Among the contenders are gold medallist Sally Pearson, cyclist Anna Meares and hockey’s Jamie Dwyer, all fine role models.

Dwyer, who has made the last three games and was a pivotal force in Australia’s gold medal win in Athens in 2004, did not expect his career to extend to these Games but he has found fresh zest after being omitted from the Glasgow Commonwealth Games squad in 2014.

The Kookaburras are yet to name their final squad but Dwyer shapes as a likely inclusion and has already been chosen for a media parade featuring the new Games uniforms in Sydney on March 30.

Shooter Michael Diamond is on course for his seventh Olympics but it would be a surprise if he is given the nod to carry the flag.

Diamond has been provisionally chosen for the Games but Shooting Australia will hear a protest from 16-year-old Mitchell Iles, who is the only shooter to record three Benchmark scores of 121 or better since July last year.

Originally published as Australia’s Olympic Games Chef de Mission Kitty Chiller to name flag bearer early in break with tradition